Richard Duddell, Senior Project Manager

Posted on 4 Aug 2025

Richard has been driving regeneration in Greater Manchester for over 30 years, playing a key role in projects across Manchester and is now leading on sites within the Atom Valley initiative.                         

Tell me a bit about yourself.
I’m originally from the Midlands but moved to Liverpool for university at 18, and I’ve stayed in the Northwest ever since. I moved to Manchester in 1990 and started my career at Manchester City Council, where I worked for 12 years. One of the big projects I was involved in was the regeneration of the city centre following the 1996 bomb explosion. In 2002, I joined the Rochdale Development Agency (RDA) and have been here ever since, working across a variety of regeneration projects in the borough.

What is your role with the RDA?
I lead on the physical regeneration of various industrial estates and business parks, managing projects that help bring forward development and economic growth. Most of the business parks I work on contribute to delivering the Atom Valley initiative, including Kingsway, South Heywood, and Stakehill. I work closely with partners to deliver these schemes, ensuring we create high-quality places that attract businesses and jobs to the area.

Why did you choose to work with the RDA?
When I joined, the RDA offered an opportunity to work on large-scale regeneration projects within a dynamic organisation. It allows me to focus on getting things done and delivering outcomes rather than being caught up in process. The RDA has always been about making a real impact on Rochdale’s economy and infrastructure, and that’s something that appealed to me. I often say that at RDA we explain the public sector perspective to the private sector and the private sector perspective to the public sector. 

What projects do you work on?
My focus is on the development and improvement of industrial estates and business parks. Right now, my work is centred on the Atom Valley initiative, ensuring we create the right conditions for businesses to thrive, such as the recently opened J19 Link Road to South Heywood with all of the vehicle miles that it saves. Over the years, I’ve worked on various regeneration projects, from housing market renewal to the revitalisation of key employment areas. It’s always interesting to see how priorities shift over time, but the core aim remains the same, creating a better Rochdale for businesses and residents.

What do you really enjoy about your profession?
I’ve always been fascinated by the built environment. I love walking around urban areas, taking in the architecture, and understanding how people use places and how places can influence people.  What I really enjoy is the ability to shape places and make a tangible difference to communities. The work we do isn’t just about buildings; it’s about creating spaces where people can work and businesses can grow. Seeing projects come to life and knowing they contribute to local job creation is incredibly rewarding.

What makes you get up in the morning?
Apart from my alarm clock, it’s the knowledge that the projects I work on are making a positive impact. Regeneration is about improving places, whether it’s for people to live, work, invest, or move around in, and knowing I’m playing a part in that is what keeps me motivated. The RDA is very outcome-focused, which means we’re always pushing to get things done rather than just talking about them. That’s what makes the job fulfilling.

Tell me something people don’t know about you.
I’ve got a few! First, I’m an experienced rally navigator, I’ve been competing in car rallies since the mid-1980s, reading pace notes to drivers and navigating routes using Ordnance Survey maps. Second, I’m a regular ‘parkrunner ’ and have completed events in 11 different countries (or 14 if you count Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland separately), including as far away as New Zealand and Canada. And third, for a short time, I held a world record for contributing a tile to the world’s largest Lego floor mosaic at Event City in Trafford Park. That one’s probably not as impressive as it sounds, but it was a fun experience with my kids!